JP2018524495A - Extended safe room - Google Patents

Abstract

An extended safe room (ESR) is provided that defines a protected space therein, which includes a main upright frame, a pair of side walls hinged to the main upright frame, parallel to the main upright frame and on the side walls. And a front wall connected by a hinge. When the ESR is deployed in the expansion direction, the front wall moves in the forward direction and away from the main upright frame. Floors and roofs are also provided, and ESR deployment can be automatic or manual. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to the field of protective structures, and in particular to the field of expandable protective structures.

  Protection structures are known. Generally, the protective structure is made of steel and can protect people and equipment.

  U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,432 to Geihl discloses a foldable and expandable modular shelter unit for a transportation vehicle. The support of the shelter unit limits itself to use in vehicles only. U.S. Pat. No. 8,978,318 to Klein teaches an assembleable indoor shelter having at least one metal frame attached to the interior wall of the apartment. Five protective walls are attached to the frame to form a shelter.

There is a need to provide a foldable and extendable safe room that can be used indoors and outdoors and is completely independent of other supporting structures such as apartments, buildings or vehicles.

  The purpose is to provide an extended safe room that can be used indoors or outdoors.

  Another object is to provide an extended safe room that operates automatically.

  A still further object is to provide an extended safe room that is bulletproof.

A further object is to provide an extended safe room that can be adapted to provide chemical and biological protection.

Another object is to provide an expandable safe room that retracts compactly.

  Yet another object is to provide an extended safe room that can provide protection against sudden intruders with cold or hot weapons.

  Another object is to provide an upgradeable safe room with a protective panel that increases its ballistic resistance.

Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment, an extended safe room (ESR) is provided that defines a protected space within the extended safe room,
A main upright frame,
A pair of side walls hinged to the main upright frame;
A front wall parallel to the main upright frame and connected to the side wall by a hinge,
When the ESR is deployed in the expansion direction, the front wall moves in the forward direction and away from the main upright frame.

  According to another preferred embodiment, each of the side walls comprises a front side of the side wall hinged to the rear side of the side wall.

  According to another preferred embodiment, at least one of the side walls or the front wall is provided with a door that allows people to pass into the protected space.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the ESR further comprises a roof hinged to the main upright frame.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the ESR comprises a floor hinged to the main upright frame.

  According to another preferred embodiment, each of the side walls comprises a front side of the side wall hinged to the rear side of the side wall.

  In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the ESR further comprises a roof hinged to the main upright frame by a roof hinge, and a floor hinged to the main upright frame by a floor hinge, each side wall being a side A side wall front portion connected by a hinge to the rear side wall of the side wall by a hinge is provided.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the ESR further comprises a rear wall parallel to and fixedly connected to the main upright frame.

  According to another preferred embodiment, in the ESR folded position, each of the roof, floor, front wall, side wall front and side wall rear is parallel to the back wall.

  According to another preferred embodiment, in the deployed position of the ESR, the front wall is parallel to and spaced from the rear wall, and each of the side walls is spaced from the other side wall, and each side wall front is Forming an angle greater than 150 ° with the rear of the adjacent side wall, and the roof is parallel to and spaced from the floor and covers the front wall and the top wall of the side wall.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the deployment of the ESR from the folded position to the deployed position is performed automatically, semi-automatically or manually.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the ESR is bulletproof.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the front wall and the side walls have magazine rails into which the protective panel can be inserted, so that the protective panel can withstand higher ballistic threats.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the front wall and / or the side wall comprises a transparent bulletproof part.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the thickness dimension of the ESR in the folded position ranges from 15 cm to 30 cm.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the side walls are connected to the main upright frame described above by an arm configured to be able to move the wall away from and / or closer to the upright frame.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the roof is connected to the aforementioned main upright frame by a piston configured to allow the roof to rotate about a hinge that connects the roof to the upright frame.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the floor is connected to the aforementioned main upright frame by a piston configured to rotate the floor about a hinge that connects the floor to the upright frame.

  In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the ESR further comprises a controller that can receive a signal that initiates automatic deployment of the ESR in a controlled manner.

In accordance with yet another embodiment, a method is provided for deploying an expandable safe room (ESR) from a folded position, the method comprising:
Swiveling the roof in a rising circle motion around the roof hinge so that the interior angle created between the roof and the rear wall is greater than 90 °;
Swiveling the floor in a descending circle movement around the floor hinge until the floor is perpendicular to the rear wall;
Moving the front wall in a forward direction and away from the rear wall until the side walls are substantially aligned,
Lowering the roof until it touches the front wall and the top wall of the side wall.

  According to another preferred embodiment, the method is automatically executed and controlled.

  According to another preferred embodiment, while the front wall is moving in the forward direction, each sidewall front forms an angle greater than 150 ° with the adjacent sidewall rear.

  Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs. Although methods and components similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the embodiments, suitable methods and components are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the components, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

  Embodiments are described herein by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Reference will now be made in detail to the specific drawings, but the items shown are examples, are intended to be illustrative of preferred embodiments, and are the most useful and easy to understand the principles and conceptual aspects of the embodiments. Emphasizes what is presented to provide what is believed to be understood. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details in more detail than is essential for basic understanding, and those skilled in the art will be able to implement several forms in practice according to the description accompanying the drawings. It becomes clear.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an expandable safe room according to a preferred embodiment in a folded position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the extended safe room of FIG. 1 with a roof in an open position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the extended safe room of FIG. 1 with a roof and floor in an open position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the extended safe room of FIG. 1 with a roof, floor and walls in an open position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the extended safe room of FIG. 1 with the roof removed, and a detailed view of the actuation mechanism.

  Before describing at least one embodiment in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiment is not limited in its application to the details of the structure and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. is there. It can be practiced or carried out in other embodiments or in various ways. It is also to be understood that the expressions and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. In the following discussion of the various figures described herein, like numerals refer to like parts. The drawings are generally not to scale.

  For clarity, unnecessary elements have been removed from some drawings.

  It should be noted that what is depicted in FIGS. 1-5 shows an expanded safe room according to a preferred embodiment. For convenience, the extended safe room is referred to below as “ESR”.

  Terms indicating directions seen throughout the specification and claims, such as “front”, “back”, “top”, “bottom”, etc., are used to distinguish the position of various surfaces relative to each other. It should be noted that it is used for convenience. These terms are defined with reference to the drawings. However, these are used for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the provided ESR 10 comprises a frame 12 on which various components of the system are mounted and assembled.

  The great advantage of ESR 10 is that it has a minimum thickness dimension T in the folded position, as shown in FIG. 1, and therefore occupies a minimum space in the unused position, and if desired, with a screening curtain or the like. It can be covered. According to a specific embodiment, in the folded position of the ESR 10, the thickness dimension T is about 28 cm. In general, according to the various sizes, uses and needs of ESR, the thickness dimension T is between 15 cm and 30 cm. Within thickness T, almost all components of the structure are folded, the walls, roof and floor are located parallel within the thickness, as are all pistons and connectors that facilitate the deployment of the structure.

  The ESR 10 can be self-supporting, i.e., not dependent on any wall, bulkhead, frame, vehicle, or the like to maintain in an upright position. The frame 12 comprises a pair of lower substantially parallel rails 14 connected between them by reinforcing beams 16.

  The main upright frame 18 has an inverted “U” shape and is connected vertically to the lower rail 14. As will be described later, the main upright frame 18 accommodates the expanded portion of the ESR 10 therein.

  The rear wall 20 of the ESR 10 (see FIG. 5) is positioned on the rear side 22 of the ESR 10. The rear wall 20, as well as all other plates forming the ESR 10, are made of steel and can withstand ballistic threats up to 7.62 caliber AP according to NIJ IV or Stanag 3. To implement ESR, other components or combinations of components that can form similar strengths of the components can be utilized. Each of the plates forming the ESR 10 has a magazine rail within which a protective panel can be inserted. Protective panels can withstand higher ballistic threats and are installed and classified according to customer needs.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when it is required to open or deploy the ESR 10 to the operating position, the operating system of the ESR 10 is activated. The actuation system can be activated automatically, semi-automatically or manually. In any case, the stage is similar.

  In automatic operation of the ESR 10, the system controller 29 selectively receives signals from external sensors (not shown). For example, if it is required to use the ESR 10 as a protective shelter in an area that is frequently affected by earthquakes, the seismic sensor will detect that an earthquake has occurred in the surroundings and immediately open the ESR 10 A signal can be sent to the controller. Thus, within a few seconds, the ESR 10 is open to the operating position and can immediately accept people who have just sensed the earthquake or have been alerted by the same sensor. The controller 29 can preferably be located at or near any location in the ESR that is hidden in the frame so that it does not suffer damage. It should be noted that the controller can receive communications to initiate the deployment of ESR using a telephone line or any other form of wired or wireless communication.

  As another example of automatic operation of the ESR 10, when designed to deploy in the event of a fire, in that case it will receive a signal from a fire detection system, or in the case of property theft, a corresponding intrusion The signal from the person detector is received.

  According to a specific embodiment, in the deployed position of the ESR 10, the total length L measured parallel to the main upright frame 18 is 270 cm, the width W measured perpendicular to the full length dimension L is 254 cm, and the total length And the height H measured perpendicular to the width dimension is 216 cm. When using the aforementioned dimensions, the ESR 10 can accommodate 18 people inside when needed or urgent. Of course, other dimensions of ESR are possible depending on the needs, and ESR can accommodate different numbers of people.

  What is meant by semi-automatic activation of the system is that the person or group of people who manage the operation of the ESR 10 can initiate the deployment of the ESR 10 by pressing the activation button. The activation button is mechanically or wired to the ESR 10, remotely from the ESR 10, eg, located in another room or space, or activated by a remotely controlled system that is not physically wired to the activation system Can do.

  What is meant by manual operation of the system is that a person manually activates a mechanism to deploy the ESR 10 from the folded position to the deployed position. This can be done, for example, by rotating an actuation handle that activates the opening mechanism of the ESR 10 in place.

  In the first deployment step of the ESR 10 as can be seen in FIG. 2, the roof 24 is lifted to a horizontal position by a pair of roof actuating pistons 26. The roof 24 is hinged by a roof hinge 28 attached to the main upright frame 18. Thus, during the deployment of the roof 24, the roof front end 30 performs a rising circle movement as indicated by the arrow 32 about the roof hinge 28. It should be noted that the roof 24 can be lifted slightly beyond the horizontal position of the roof for reasons described below. 2 and 5, the cover of the upright frame is removed in the drawings so that the entire piston mechanism can be observed.

  According to a specific embodiment, the roof actuating piston 26 is an electric piston, so that it has its own “position detection system”, and therefore additional sensors for detecting the position of the various elements of the system. There is no need to use it.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the roof 24 reaches its maximum raised position, the control system 29 (not shown in this figure) receives a signal that initiates a second step of deploying the ESR 10. In this step, a pair of floor working pistons 34 begins to deploy a floor 36 that is fully exposed after the roof is deployed. The floor 36 is hinged by a floor hinge 38 attached to the main upright frame 18. Therefore, during the deployment of the floor 36, the floor front end 40 performs a descending circular movement indicated by an arrow 42 about the floor hinge 38, as shown in FIG.

  When the floor 36 reaches its final position, i.e. fully deployed (as shown in FIG. 3) and parallel to the lower rail 14, this is also preferably performed by an electrical floor actuation piston 34 that senses the position, Send a signal to the control system to initiate the third step of deploying ESR 10. At the end of this step, the movement of the frame roof and floor exposes the side walls of the ESR. In the following steps as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of wall actuating pistons 44 open the wall assembly 46 forward in the forward direction as indicated by arrow 48. The wall assembly 46 includes a pair of side walls 50 (only one side wall can be seen in FIG. 4) and a front wall 52 connected to the wall front end 54 of the side wall 50.

  Each of the side walls 50 comprises two parts, a side wall front 56 and a side wall back 58 that are manually connected between them by means of a vertically oriented side hinge 60. The front wall 52 includes a fixed portion 62 and a door 64 to allow people to enter the ESR 10.

  In order to ensure forward advancement of the side wall 50 in the proper direction with the front wall 52, the lower front end 66 of each side wall front 56 is connected to the lower rear end 68 of the adjacent side wall rear 58 by means of an alignment mechanism 70. . The alignment mechanism 70 includes a set of two parallel forearms 72 hinged to a set of two parallel rear arms 74. Therefore, using the two arrangement mechanisms 70 positioned opposite the outside of the side wall 50 as a means, the side wall 50 and the front wall 52 are in the forward direction indicated by the arrow 48, or when retracted, the arrow 76 is opposite to the front direction 48. It is guaranteed to move only in the backward direction indicated by

  As previously mentioned herein, in the first step, the roof 24 is lifted slightly beyond the horizontal position. As shown in FIG. 5 (with the roof removed for clarity), when the front wall 52 and the side wall 50 reach their final positions, the wall actuating piston 44 is moved to the top wall 78 of the front wall 52 and the side wall 50. A signal is sent to the control system to lower the roof 24 until it touches.

  Optionally, in this position, the sidewall front 56 and the sidewall rear 58 are not parallel and do not form a continuous straight line, but with respect to each other around the side hinge 60 as seen in the top view of the sidewall 50. An obtuse angle is formed. This feature is that during the closing operation of the ESR 10, the side wall front 56 is not locked to the side wall rear 58 and can be easily folded with respect to each other, i.e., the obtuse angle between them is reduced and the side hinges of the side wall 50 are reduced. Ensure that the 60s are moving closer together. In general, the ESR 10 can be folded in a manner similar to that deployed. It should be mentioned that the roof needs to be lifted slightly before folding the side and front walls.

  Thus, ESR, such as ESR 10, is easily and effectively assembled automatically or manually in a quick and safe manner. After the ESR 10 is generally cubic or box-shaped and all six sides of it are closed, an internally protected space 80 is defined to provide a safe room for the people or equipment located inside.

  After the rear wall 20, roof 24 and floor 36 form an integral part of the ESR 10, the ESR 10 can be used in the event of an earthquake, missile attack, or even the total destruction of the building or structure in which it is located. It is also very effective in protecting people inside.

  Optionally, the part between all the walls or all the hinges have overlapping parts where the adjacent walls are foldable or slidable, there is no gap between the walls in their open position, and the protective case It is made to form a continuum of.

  The ESR 10 can be delivered to the site in either an assembled position as shown in FIG. 1 or an exploded position that is easier and lighter to transport and then assembles the various parts on-site.

  In some alternative embodiments of ESR 10, the ESR may have a transparent element such as a flat larger transparent panel window over a larger portion of the wall. The window may be ballistic proof and, as an example, may be formed from a ballistic proof polycarbonate panel.

  ESR's ballistic protection provides a broad range of protection against terrorist threats to those who remain inside, whether they are firearms, grenades, mortar explosions, or cold weapons.

  Optionally, the ESR fire protection mode is equipped with up to 3 hours of refractory material mounted from inside the wall. Optionally, such protection is also implemented on the roof and floor.

  ESR's lightweight mode can provide bulletproof protection and can be installed in buildings, yachts, aircraft, vehicles such as vans and buses, and the like.

  A major advantage of ESR is that it has a relatively small thickness dimension in the folded position, and therefore can be installed almost anywhere without occupying a lot of space during periods of inactivity. Furthermore, in the folded position, it can be covered with a curtain or the like and is not visible or noticeable at all.

  ESR can be provided in a sealed or ventilated version and can also provide a humidity and temperature controlled environment. ESR can be provided in isolated or non-insulated mode.

  Optionally, the ESR may further have a biological and chemical filtration system that can be installed within the interior space of the ESR and includes a special tent style biological and chemical protective bubble or cover. Can do. Air filtration systems are designed to filter out malodorous or contaminated atmospheres that enter a protected area.

  In accordance with some embodiments, the ESR can be shielded from the interior and can have viewing apertures that allow external viewing and firing capabilities, if desired.

  ESR control and operating systems are typically powered from a power source. However, in emergency cases, power supply power is sometimes unavailable. For that reason, some embodiments of ESR have a remotely started generator and an emergency battery supply voltage.

  While this disclosure has been described in some detail, it should be understood that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure as claimed below. For example, the front side of the side wall need not form an obtuse angle with the rear side of the side wall, and a flat angle can be formed between them. In that case, the side walls further have a locking-braking device for “breaking” the flats into obtuse angles so that the front sides of the side walls can be folded against their rear side of the corresponding side walls.

  The ESR is not limited to the above-mentioned sizes, but other dimensions of ESR are equally applicable to suit different needs and different accommodations of people. Furthermore, the ESR can be installed indoors as well as outdoors.

  The ESR need not be actuated by an electric piston, and other drive means are equally applicable. For example, actuation of various parts of the ESR can be performed through a hydraulic or pneumatic piston or by various mechanical drive mechanisms such as gears, winches and cables, and the like.

  The ESR is not limited to having its sidewalls having only two parts as described above. Alternatively, the sidewall can contain a greater number of parts, such as four or more. In general, the number of side wall portions is advantageously a paired number, which allows easy opening and easy folding of the side walls as described above. If the number of side wall parts is greater, the result is that the roof and floor are required to have significantly larger width dimensions. This can be achieved if the available space provides a sufficient height for the ESR.

  In accordance with other embodiments, instead of manufacturing ESR with very large heights, the roof and floor can be made with multiple open parts as required.

  The ESR is not limited to being closed on six sides. In some embodiments, if the risk of earthquake is low, and if the floor and roof of the building are made of reinforced steel beam concrete, the ESR has only four with ESR walls. It is only necessary to have protection from the side. Furthermore, if the rear wall of the ESR assembly site is also made of solid reinforced concrete, the ESR need only be provided with protection of three walls: the side wall and the front wall.

  It will be appreciated that certain features of the embodiments described in the context of the individual embodiments for clarity may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features of the embodiments described in the context of a single embodiment for the sake of brevity can be provided individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

  While described with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

Claims (22)

A main upright frame,
A pair of side walls hinged to the main upright frame;
A front wall parallel to the main upright frame and connected to the side wall by a hinge,
An expandable safe room (ESR) defining an internally protected space in which the front wall moves forward and away from the main upright frame when ESR is deployed in the expanded direction.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein each of the sidewalls comprises a sidewall front portion hinged to a sidewall rear portion.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein at least one of the side walls or the front wall comprises a door that allows people to pass into the protected space.   The ESR of claim 1, further comprising a roof hinged to the main upright frame.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein the ESR comprises a floor hinged to the main upright frame.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein each of the sidewalls comprises a sidewall front portion hinged to a sidewall rear portion.   The roof further includes a roof hinged to the main upright frame by a roof hinge and a floor hinged to the main upright frame by a floor hinge, and each of the side walls is hinged to the rear of the side wall by a side hinge. The ESR of claim 1, comprising a sidewall front portion.   The ESR of claim 7, further comprising a rear wall parallel to and fixedly connected to the main upright frame.   9. The ESR of claim 8, wherein in the folded position of the ESR, the roof, the floor, the front wall, each of the side wall front portions and each of the side wall rear portions are parallel to the rear wall.   In the deployed position of the ESR, the front wall is parallel to and spaced from the rear wall, each of the side walls is spaced from the other side wall, and each side wall front is 9. Forming an angle greater than 150 ° with an adjacent side wall rear and the roof is parallel to and spaced from the floor and covers the front wall and the top wall of the side wall. ESR as described.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein the deployment of the ESR from the folded position to the deployed position is performed automatically, semi-automatically or manually.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein the ESR is bulletproof.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein the front wall and the side wall have magazine rails into which a protective panel can be inserted, the protective panel being able to withstand higher ballistic threats.   The ESR according to claim 1, wherein the front wall and / or the side wall includes a transparent bulletproof portion.   The ESR according to claim 1, wherein a thickness dimension of the ESR in the folded position is in a range of 15 cm to 30 cm.   The ESR of claim 1, wherein the side wall is connected to the main upright frame by an arm configured to move the wall away from and / or closer to the upright frame.   The ESR of claim 4, wherein the roof is connected to the main upright frame by a piston configured to rotate the roof about a hinge that connects the roof to the upright frame.   The ESR of claim 5, wherein the floor is connected to the main upright frame by a piston configured to rotate the floor about a hinge that connects the floor to the upright frame.   The ESR of claim 1, further comprising a controller capable of receiving a signal that initiates automatic deployment of the ESR in a controlled manner. Swiveling the roof in a rising circle motion around the roof hinge so that the interior angle created between the roof and the rear wall is greater than 90 °;
Swiveling the floor in a descending circular motion about a floor hinge until the floor is perpendicular to the back wall;
Moving the front wall in a forward direction and away from the rear wall until the side walls are substantially aligned,
Lowering the roof until it touches the front wall and the top wall of the side wall, and deploying the expandable safe room (ESR) from a collapsed position according to claim 9.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed and controlled automatically.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein each side wall front forms an angle greater than 150 [deg.] With the adjacent side wall back while the front wall is moving forward.

Images